Asian Boyz

The Asian Boyz, also known as ABZ or AB-26, is an Asian-American street gang that was founded in the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles in the US state of California during the 1970s. The gang was founded as protection for immigrant and refugee Asian teens from pre-existing Hispanic gangs; the gang recruited youths from ghetto neighborhoods who were faced with cultural barriers, bullying, life in gang and drug-infested areas, and unfulfilling home lives. The gang was Cambodian-American in origin, but it also had members from Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Their style of dress imitated the Hispanic cholo style, while their mannerisms were similar to the African-American Crips gang; some considered the Asian Boyz to be a set of the Crips. By 2009, the gang was active in 28 cities in 14 different US states, and it grew to have around 2,000 members. The gang was rivals with the Tiny Rascal Gang, the Valerio Street Gang, the East Side Longos, the Bloods, the Surenos, Wah Ching, and a few minor gangs.